Mystery wife donates rings, disappears

Amanda Cuda

Updated 10:32 pm, Friday, June 15, 2012

A mysterious lady appears to have left her special jewelry in the chapel of St. VincentâÄôs Medical Center some time on Wednesday June 13, 2012, next to a statue of the Virgin Mary. The wedding and engagement rings were affixed to a note raedingâÄú"iwould like to donate this ring to cancer patients. I had it appraised. My ring is worth $3,300."The note was signed simply, âÄúCancer SurvivorâÄôs Wifee."
Photo: Contributed Photo

BRIDGEPORT -- It's a rare woman who would part ways with her wedding and engagement rings voluntarily.

But a mysterious lady appears to have done just that, dropping the special jewelry in the chapel of St. Vincent's Medical Center some time on Wednesday, next to a statue of the Virgin Mary. The rings were affixed to a note both achingly simple and deeply mysterious:

"I would like to donate this ring to cancer patients. I had it appraised. My ring is worth $3,300."

The note was signed simply, "Cancer Survivor's Wife."

The rings and letter were discovered by hospital EKG technician Margalie Alphonse, who regularly visits the chapel during her free time. "I saw an envelope and I felt something hard in it, so I opened it," she said.

Inside, she found the rings -- actually a wedding band fitted with an insert into which you can slide an engagement ring to create one ring.

Alphonse said she found the note and the gesture tremendously moving. "It's killing me," she said. "I feel like crying. She gave up her precious thing because her husband was a cancer survivor."

Friday morning, staff at the hospital still didn't know who the mystery donor was. Security footage of the area during the presumed donation has been reviewed, but has yielded no clues so far.

"We'd certainly like to know who she is, so we can thank her," said Ron Bianchi, hospital corporate senior vice president.

Bianchi said it's not entirely clear how the ring donation will be used, but added that the hospital does have a cancer support fund used to help patients who are temporarily struggling with medical costs.

Though the hospital gets its share of donations, Bianchi said it's fairly rare for someone to drop a personal item in the chapel.

"She's not only given us something of financial value," he said. "the real gift is that it's something of personal value to her."

Bianchi said he hopes the donor will come forward, both so hospital officials can thank her and so they can eventually let her know how the money will be used.